Purpose: Understand the full range of benefits and the role time plays in the benefits derived from your CBWM program, from immediate to long-term impacts.
Refer to: Tool 4a
Used in: Tool 5b
Timescale of Benefits Matrix
A Timescale of Benefits Matrix is a straightforward approach to assess or estimate the effects of time on the benefits from your CBWM program. It helps track how different benefits evolve over time and supports effective communication of these changes. The matrix serves as a practical tool for community groups to estimate and communicate the temporal impacts of their water monitoring activities, facilitating strategic planning and engagement.
This tool helps incorporate Delay and Dropoff effect. It asks the question: Will the program’s influence on outcomes diminish, maintain, or increase over time?
Delay effect: Some program benefits may take time to manifest fully. This refers to the lag between the start of the program and the point when the benefits begin to materialize.
Drop-off effect: Over time, some benefits may decline or weaken. This refers to the decrease in the program’s influence on outcomes after a certain period.
Structure:
- Benefit categories: Group your benefits into categories such as ‘Environmental Awareness’, ‘Data Quality’, ‘Community Engagement’, ‘Policy Influence’, and ‘Behavioral Changes’.
- Time phases: Divide the timeline into different phases like ‘Immediate’ (0-6 months), ‘Short-term’ (6 months – 2 years), and ‘Long-term’ (2+ years).
- Impact assessment: For each category, assess the level of impact (e.g., Low, Medium, High) in each time phase.
How to use
- Identify benefits: List the expected benefits of the water monitoring program. These can be specific to the program or based on observations from similar programs or general benefits expected in the future based on observations from similar programs – indicate if this is the case in the matrix.
- Assign time phases: Allocate each benefit to the appropriate time phase(s) based on when you expect them to materialize. Some benefits may span multiple phases.
- Assess impact: For each benefit in each time phase, evaluate its impact. Factors to consider include the scale of impact (local or widespread), intensity, and the number of people affected.
- Review and update: Periodically review and update the matrix as the program progresses. This helps in tracking actual impacts against initial estimates.